Measurements of All-Particle Energy Spectrum and Mean Logarithmic Mass of Cosmic Rays from 0.3 to 30 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

Human amnion epithelial cell therapy reduces hypertension-induced vascular stiffening and cognitive impairment

Vascular inflammation and fibrosis are hallmarks of hypertension and contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment. However, current anti-hypertensive drugs do not treat the underlying tissue damage, such as inflammation-associated fibrosis. Human amnion epithelial cells have several properties amenable for treating vascular pathology. This study tested the effect of amnion epithelial cells on vascular pathology and cognitive impairment during hypertension. Male C57Bl6 mice (8-12 weeks) were administered vehicle (saline; n = 58) or angiotensin II (0.7 mg/kg/d, n = 56) subcutaneously for 14 d. After surgery, a subset of mice were injected with 106 amnion epithelial cells intravenously. Angiotensin II infusion increased systolic blood pressure, aortic pulse wave velocity, accumulation of aortic leukocytes, and aortic mRNA expression of collagen subtypes compared to vehicle-infused mice (n = 9-11, P < 0.05). Administration of amnion epithelial cells attenuated these effects of angiotensin II (P < 0.05). Angiotensin II-induced cognitive impairment was prevented by amnion epithelial cell therapy (n = 7-9, P < 0.05). In the brain, amnion epithelial cells modulated some of the inflammatory genes that angiotensin II promoted differential expression of (n = 6, p-adjusted < 0.05). These findings suggest that amnion epithelial cells could be explored as a potential therapy to inhibit vascular pathology and cognitive impairment during hypertension.

The Photothrombotic Model of Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is a major cause of morbidity worldwide; yet, there is a lack of treatment options to address post-stroke cognitive and motor impairment, thus there is an urgency for developing neuroprotective and restorative therapies. Much of our fundamental understanding of stroke pathology has been derived from animal models. The photothrombotic model of ischemic stroke is commonly used to study cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, test functional/cognitive outcomes, identify important biomarkers, and assess the effectiveness of novel therapies. It allows for the precise targeting of an infarct to a specific region of the brain, has a low mortality rate, low seizure rate, and is relatively easy to perform. This chapter outlines materials and methods for the photothrombotic model of ischemic stroke in mice, its limitations, and some considerations needed when using this model.

[Diagnosis of bacterial and viral infection by HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP combined test]

The value of combined detection of neutrophil apolipoprotein (HNL), serum amyloid A (SAA), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral infectious diseases. A retrospective study was conducted to collect the clinical data of infected patients and healthy people in the clinical department of Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from September to December in 2022. 100 patients with confirmed infection were divided into bacterial infection group (n=50) and virus infection group (n=50), and 50 healthy people were selected as control group (n=50). Fasting venous blood was collected at the initial stage of admission or on the day of physical examination. HNL was detected by double antibody sandwich method, SAA and CRP were detected by nephelometry, and PCT was detected by chemiluminescence method. The efficacy of infection markers in the differential diagnosis of bacterial infection and viral infection in infected patients was evaluated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP in bacterial and viral infectious diseases; Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of each index on the diagnostic efficiency. The results showed that the levels of HNL (126.60±33.32) ng/ml, PCT (28.02±11.37) ng/ml and CRP (36.13±14.37) mg/L in bacterial infection group were significantly higher than those of HNL (47.72±15.94) ng/ml, PCT (1.27±0.40) ng/ml, CRP (18.77±10.66) mg/L in virus group and HNL (38.21±12.53) ng/ml, PCT (0.38±0.12) ng/ml and CRP (4.13±1.07) mg/L in control group. The level of HNL increased most significantly (F=89.228, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) from large to small was HNL+SAA+PCT+CRP (0.976), HNL (0.907), PCT (0.885), CRP (0.856), SAA (0.790), SAA/CRP (0.733). The level of SAA/CRP in virus infection group (94.05±3.75) was significantly higher than that in bacteria group (17.70±3.69) and control group (3.89±1.50) (F=84.005, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) from large to small was HNL+SAA+PCT+CRP (0.986), SAA/CRP (0.956), SAA (0.878), HNL (0.768), CRP (0.742), PCT (0.730). In conclusion, HNL has the best auxiliary diagnostic efficacy in bacterial infection, followed by PCT; SAA/CRP has the best auxiliary diagnostic efficacy in viral infection, followed by SAA; the combined detection of serum HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral infections.

Measurement of Ultra-High-Energy Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission of the Galactic Plane from 10 TeV to 1 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

The diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of diffuse γ rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15°10  TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of -2.99±0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of ∼3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of -2.99±0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10≲E≲60  TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.

Corrigendum: Phase I trial outcome of amnion cell therapy in patients with ischemic stroke (I-ACT)

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1153231.].

Protection against brain injury after ischemic stroke by intravenous human amnion epithelial cells in combination with tissue plasminogen activator

Background

Thrombolytic agents such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) are the only drug class approved to treat ischemic stroke and are usually administered within 4.5 h. However, only ~20% of ischemic stroke patients are eligible to receive the therapy. We previously demonstrated that early intravenous administration of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) can limit brain inflammation and infarct growth in experimental stroke. Here, we have tested whether hAECs exert cerebroprotective effects in combination with tPA in mice.

Methods

Male C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 60 min followed by reperfusion. Immediately following reperfusion, vehicle (saline, n = 31) or tPA (10 mg/kg; n = 73) was administered intravenously. After 30 min of reperfusion, tPA-treated mice were injected intravenously with either hAECs (1×10⁶; n = 32) or vehicle (2% human serum albumin; n = 41). A further 15 sham-operated mice were treated with vehicle (n = 7) or tPA + vehicle (n = 8). Mice were designated to be euthanised at 3, 6 or 24 h post-stroke (n = 21, 31, and 52, respectively), and brains were collected to assess infarct volume, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, intracerebral bleeding and inflammatory cell content.

Results

There was no mortality within 6 h of stroke onset, but a high mortality occurred in tPA + saline-treated mice between 6 h and 24 h post-stroke in comparison to mice treated with tPA + hAECs (61% vs. 27%, p = 0.04). No mortality occurred within 24 h of sham surgery in mice treated with tPA + vehicle. We focused on early infarct expansion within 6 h of stroke and found that infarction was ~50% larger in tPA + saline- than in vehicle-treated mice (23 ± 3 mm³ vs. 15 ± 2 mm³, p = 0.02) but not in mice receiving tPA + hAECs (13 ± 2 mm³, p < 0.01 vs. tPA + saline) in which intracerebral hAECs were detected. Similar to the profiles of infarct expansion, BBB disruption and intracerebral bleeding in tPA + saline-treated mice at 6 h was 50-60% greater than in vehicle-treated controls (2.6 ± 0.5 vs. 1.6 ± 0.2, p = 0.05) but not after tPA + hAECs treatment (1.7 ± 0.2, p = 0.10 vs. tPA + saline). No differences in inflammatory cell content were detected between treatment groups.

Conclusion

When administered following tPA in acute stroke, hAECs improve safety and attenuate infarct growth in association with less BBB disruption and lower 24 h mortality.

A tera-electron volt afterglow from a narrow jet in an extremely bright gamma-ray burst

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger, then rose to a peak about 10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

[The value of DISCO and MUSE-DWI combined with prostate specific antigen density in the diagnosis and risk stratification of prostate cancer]

Objective: To explore the value of differential subsampling with cartesian ordering (DISCO) and multiplexed sensitivity-encoding diffusion weighted-imaging (MUSE-DWI) combined with prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) in the diagnosis and risk stratification of prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: The data of 183 patients [aged from 48 to 86 (68±8) years] with prostate diseases in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from July 2020 to August 2021 were retrospectively collected. Those patients were divided into non-PCa group (n=115) and PCa group (n=68) based on the disease condition. According to the risk degree, PCa group was subdivided into low risk PCa group (n=14) and medium-to-high risk PCa group (n=54). The differences of volume transfer constant (Ktrans), rate constant (Kep), extracellular volume fraction (Ve), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and PSAD between groups were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis were conducted for evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of quantitative parameters and PSAD in distinguishing non-PCa and PCa, low-risk PCa and medium-high risk PCa. Multivariate logistic regression model was used for screening out the predictors, which was statistically significant differences between non-PCa group and PCa group, for PCa prediction. Results: Ktrans, Kep, Ve and PSAD of PCa group all were higher than those of non-PCa group, and ADC value was lower than that of non-PCa group, and the differences all were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Ktrans, Kep and PSAD of medium-to-high risk PCa group all were higher than those of low risk PCa group, and ADC value was lower than that of low risk PCa group, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.001). When distinguishing non-PCa from PCa, the area under ROC curve (AUC) of the combined model (Ktrans+Kep+Ve+ADC+PSAD) was higher than that of any single index [0.958 (95%CI: 0.918-0.982) vs 0.881 (95%CI: 0.825-0.924), 0.836 (95%CI: 0.775-0.887), 0.672 (95%CI: 0.599-0.740), 0.940(95%CI: 0.895-0.969), 0.816(95%CI:0.752-0.869), all P<0.05]. When distinguishing low-risk PCa and medium-to-high risk PCa, the AUC of the combined model (Ktrans+Kep+ADC+PSAD) were higher than those of Ktrans, Kep and PSAD[0.933 (95%CI: 0.845-0.979) vs 0.846 (95%CI:0.738-0.922), 0.782 (95%CI:0.665-0.873), 0.84 8(95%CI: 0.740-0.923), all P<0.05]. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Ktrans (OR=1.005, 95%CI:1.001-1.010) and ADC values (OR=0.992, 95%CI:0.989-0.995) were predictors of PCa (P<0.05). Conclusions: DISCO and MUSE-DWI combined with PSAD can distinguish benign and malignant prostate lesions. Ktrans and ADC values were predictors of PCa; Ktrans, Kep, ADC values and PSAD are helpful in predicting the biological behavior of PCa.

Phase I trial outcome of amnion cell therapy in patients with ischemic stroke (I-ACT)

Background

We proposed a Phase I dose escalation trial to assess the safety of allogeneic human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) in stroke patients with a view to informing the design for a Phase II trial.

Methods

The design is based on 3 + 3 dose escalation design with additional components for measuring MR signal of efficacy as well as the effect of hAECs (2-8 × 106/kg, i.v.) on preventing immunosuppression after stroke.

Results

Eight patients (six males) were recruited within 24 h of ischemic stroke onset and were infused with hAECs. We were able to increase the dose of hAECs to 8 × 106 cells/kg (2 × 106/kg, n = 3; 4 × 106/kg, n = 3; 8 × 106/kg, n = 2). The mean age is 68.0 ± 10.9 (mean ± SD). The frequencies of hypertension and hyperlipidemia were 87.5%, diabetes was 37.5%, atrial fibrillation was 50%, ischemic heart disease was 37.5% and ever-smoker was 25%. Overall, baseline NIHSS was 7.5 ± 3.1, 7.8 ± 7.2 at 24 h, and 4.9 ± 5.4 at 1 week (n = 8). The modified Rankin scale at 90 days was 2.1 ± 1.2. Supplemental oxygen was given in five patients during hAEC infusion. Using pre-defined criteria, two serious adverse events occurred. One patient developed recurrent stroke and another developed pulmonary embolism whilst in rehabilitation. For the last four patients, infusion of hAECs was split across separate infusions on subsequent days to reduce the risk for fluid overload.

Conclusion

Our Phase I trial demonstrates that a maximal dose of 2 × 106/kg hAECs given intravenously each day over 2 days (a total of 4 × 106/kg) is safe and optimal for use in a Phase II trial.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier ACTRN12618000076279P.

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma in 25 cases]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in the treatment of locally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), and to explore the factors related to the efficacy of NACT. Methods: A total of 25 patients with ONB who underwent NACT in Beijing TongRen Hospital from April 2017 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 16 males and 9 females, with an average age of 44.9 years (ranged 26-72 years). There were 22 cases of Kadish stage C and 3 cases of stage D. After multiple disciplinary team(MDT) discussion, all patients were treated sequentially with NACT-surgery-radiotherapy. Among them, 17 cases were treated with taxol, cis-platinum and etoposide (TEP), 4 cases with taxol, nedaplatin and ifosfamide (TPI), 3 cases with TP, while 1 case with EP. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis, and survival analyses were calculated based on the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The overall response rate of NACT was 32% (8/25). Subsequently, 21 patients underwent extended endoscopic surgery and 4 patients underwent combined cranial-nasal approach. Three patients with stage D disease underwent cervical lymph node dissection. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 44.2 months (ranged 6-67 months). The 5-year overall survival rate was 100.0%, and the 5-year disease-free survival rates was 94.4%. Before NACT, Ki-67 index was 60% (50%, 90%), while Ki-67 index was 20% (3%, 30%) after chemotherapy [M (Q₁, Q₃)]. The change of Ki-67 before and after NACT was statistically significant (Z=-24.24, P<0.05). The effects of age, gender, history of surgery, Hyams grade, Ki-67 index and chemotherapy regimen to NACT were analyzed. Ki-67 index≥25% and high Hyams grade were related to the efficacy of NACT (all P<0.05). Conclusions: NACT could reduce Ki-67 index in ONBs. High Ki-67 index and Hyams grade are clinical indicators sensitive to the efficacy of NACT. NACT-surgery-radiotherapy is effective for patients with locally advanced ONB.

[Prognostic factors for non-small cell lung cancer patients with central nervous system metastasis with positive driver genes]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors of patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with positive driver genes. Methods: The clinical data of 103 patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into positive driver gene group (patients with driver genes mutation and receiving corresponding targeted therapy) and negative driver gene group. Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the factors affecting patients' prognosis, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to compare the predictive ability of 4 scoring systems [recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classes, diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA) index, basic score for brain metastasesn (BS-BM) and (lung-molecular graded prognostic assessment (lung-mol GPA)]on patients' prognosis. Results: Among the 103 patients, 48 were males and 55 were females, and aged (64.6±9.7) years old. The median survival time of the 103 patients was 24.0 (95%CI: 20.0-28.0) months, the median survival time of the 59 patients in the positive driver gene group was 33.0 (95%CI: 23.4-42.6) months, the median survival time of the 44 patients in the negative driver gene group was 17.0 (95%CI: 14.4-19.6) months, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=24.69, P<0.001). The results of Cox multivariate analysis showed that the negative driver genes (HR=3.788, 95%CI: 1.951-7.301, P=0.001), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score<70 (HR=2.613, 95%CI: 1.185-5.761, P=0.017) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)>3.22 (HR=2.714, 95%CI: 1.157-6.365, P=0.022) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC. KPS score<70 (HR=3.719, 95%CI: 1.165-11.876, P=0.027) and no radiotherapy (HR=2.032, 95%CI: 1.033-11.364, P=0.041) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) value of lung-mol GPA was the highest among the 4 scoring systems (AUC=0.843, 95%CI: 0.731-0.956, P<0.001), and the AUC value of the lung-mol GPA combined scoring system (AUC=0.904, 95%CI: 0.816-0.991, P<0.001) was higher than lung-mol GPA. Conclusions: A low KPS score and no cranial radiation therapy are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes; the lung-mol GPA joint scoring system is more conducive to the prognostic assessment of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes.

Constraints on Heavy Decaying Dark Matter from 570 Days of LHAASO Observations

The kilometer square array (KM2A) of the large high altitude air shower observatory (LHAASO) aims at surveying the northern γ-ray sky at energies above 10 TeV with unprecedented sensitivity. γ-ray observations have long been one of the most powerful tools for dark matter searches, as, e.g., high-energy γ rays could be produced by the decays of heavy dark matter particles. In this Letter, we present the first dark matter analysis with LHAASO-KM2A, using the first 340 days of data from 1/2-KM2A and 230 days of data from 3/4-KM2A. Several regions of interest are used to search for a signal and account for the residual cosmic-ray background after γ/hadron separation. We find no excess of dark matter signals, and thus place some of the strongest γ-ray constraints on the lifetime of heavy dark matter particles with mass between 10^{5} and 10^{9}  GeV. Our results with LHAASO are robust, and have important implications for dark matter interpretations of the diffuse astrophysical high-energy neutrino emission.

[The value of relaxation time quantitative technique from synthetic magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and invasion assessment of prostate cancer]

Objective: To investigate the application value of relaxation time quantitative technique from synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and invasion assessment of prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 119 patients with prostate diseases [122 regions of interest(ROI)] who underwent routine MRI scan and magnetic resonance image compilation (MAGiC) sequence of prostate from March 2020 to March 2021 in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were retrospectively collected, they were divided into prostate cancer group(58 cases, 61 ROI) and non-prostate cancer group(61 cases, 61 ROI) according to the pathological results. In the prostate cancer group, those patients with an age of 48 to 85(69.8±5.9) years, and further divided into two subgroups according to the location of occurrence: peripheral zone cancer group (43 cases, 45 ROI) and transitional zone cancer group (15 cases, 16 ROI). The non-prostate cancer group consisted of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or complicated with chronic prostatitis, with an age of 41 to 81(68.6±7.0) years, and they were further divided into two subgroups according to the location of occurrence: non-cancerous peripheral zone group (45 cases, 45 ROI) and transitional zone benign prostatic hyperplasia group(16 cases, 16 ROI). Prostate cancer lesions were classified as low risk (Gleason score ≤6) or intermediate/high risk (Gleason score ≥7). After the post-processing of MAGiC images, T₁, T₂ and proton density(PD) values of prostate cancer group and non-prostate cancer group were obtained. At the same time, relevant software were used for image post-processing to generate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, the data between the two groups were analyzed by the Independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test, and the diagnostic effectiveness of each quantitative parameter in diagnosing prostate cancer and discriminating low risk prostate cancer from intermediate/high risk prostate cancer was analyzed by using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, the correlation between each quantitative parameter and Gleason score were assessed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: The T₁ value and T₂ value of the peripheral zone cancer group were lower than those in non-cancerous peripheral zone group [1 201.3 (1 103.5, 1 298.2) ms vs 2 274.0 (1 620.9, 2 776.5) ms; 78.0 (74.0, 83.8) ms vs (160.6±54.9) ms] (all P<0.001), there was no statistically significant in PD value between the two groups (P>0.05). The T₁ value and T₂ value of the transitional zone cancer group were lower than those in transitional zone benign prostatic hyperplasia group [1 073.3 (1 003.9, 1 164.9) ms vs 1 340.8 (1 208.5, 1 502.8) ms; 76.9 (74.8, 82.8) ms vs 95.1(82.8, 103.4) ms] (all P<0.001), there was no statistically significant in PD value between the two groups (P>0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of T₂ value was similar with the ADC value in discriminating peripheral zone cancer group from non-cancerous peripheral zone group(0.963 vs 0.991, P=0.105), while in discriminating transitional zone cancer group from transitional zone benign prostatic hyperplasia group, the AUC of T₂ value、T₁ value and ADC value were similar(0.867, 0.930 vs 0.938, all P>0.05). ADC value, T₂ value all were negatively correlated with Gleason score (r=-0.747,-0.453, all P<0.001). T₂ value and ADC value demonstrated equivalent diagnostic performance in discriminating low risk from intermediate/high risk prostate cancer, and there were no statistically significant (AUC: 0.787 vs 0.943, P=0.069). Conclusions: Quantitative relaxation time T₁ and T₂ values derived from synthetic MRI can discriminate prostate cancer from other benign pathologies, and T₂ value have the equivalent diagnostic performance compared to ADC value. Synthetic MRI has high clinical application value, and T₂ value can distinguish low risk prostate cancer from intermediate/high risk prostate cancer.

Exploring Lorentz Invariance Violation from Ultrahigh-Energy γ Rays Observed by LHAASO

Recently, the LHAASO Collaboration published the detection of 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources above 100 TeV, with the highest energy photon reaching 1.4 PeV. The first detection of PeV γ rays from astrophysical sources may provide a very sensitive probe of the effect of the Lorentz invariance violation (LIV), which results in decay of high-energy γ rays in the superluminal scenario and hence a sharp cutoff of the energy spectrum. Two highest energy sources are studied in this work. No signature of the existence of the LIV is found in their energy spectra, and the lower limits on the LIV energy scale are derived. Our results show that the first-order LIV energy scale should be higher than about 10^{5} times the Planck scale M_{Pl} and that the second-order LIV scale is >10^{-3}M_{Pl}. Both limits improve by at least one order of magnitude the previous results.

Large-Scale Multivariate Analysis to Interrogate an Animal Model of Stroke: Novel Insights Into Poststroke Pathology

[Figure: see text].

[The prognostic value of myocardial infarct size measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of infarct size (IS) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 104 patients with acute STEMI who underwent primary PCI treatment in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from February 2017 to November 2018 were included in the present study. All patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) within one week after primary PCI treatment. The subjects were followed up for two years. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) included new onset congestive heart failure and/or recurrent nonfatal myocardial infarction and/orcardiac death. The optimal IS cutoff value for MACE was determined by receiver operating character (ROC) curve. Based on the IS cutoff value, the patients were divided into the high IS group and the low IS group. Clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared. A cox regression model was used to analyze the prognostic value of IS in acute STEMI patients treated with primary PCI for the adverse events. Results: The IS cutoff value determined by ROC curve was 13.55%. 50 patients were in the high IS group (IS≥13.55%) and 54 patients were in the low IS group (IS<13.55%). More female patients [14 cases (28.0%) vs. 6 cases (11.1%)] were in the IS group, and a higher proportion of patients in the high IS group had anterior myocardial infarction [27 cases (54.0%) vs. 16 cases (29.6%)] or microvascular obstruction [32 cases (64.0%) vs. 16 cases (29.6%)]. White blood cell counts [11.25(8.90, 13.38) ×10⁹/L vs. 9.25(7.58, 11.00) ×10⁹/L], troponin I levels [50.63(16.56, 76.30)μg/L vs. 16.58(2.66, 38.42)μg/L] and brain natriuretic peptide levels [178.10(79.70, 281.95)μg/L vs. 79.60(42.83, 183.90)μg/L] in the high IS group were higher than those in the low IS group (P<0.05), and left ventricular ejection fraction [(45.15±10.65)% vs. (51.95±12.91)%] in the high IS group was lower than that in the low IS group (P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that IS was independently associated with the risk of cardiac death in patients with acute STEMI two years after primary PCI(P=0.033, HR=1.075, 95%CI1.006-1.148). Every 1% increase in IS was associated with a 7.5% increase in cardiac death. Conclusions: Infarct size, measured by CMR within one week after primary PCI, is strongly associated with cardiac death in patients with acute STEMI two years after primary PCI. IS could be used as an index for the prognosis of patients with acute STEMI.

Peta-electron volt gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula is a bright source of gamma rays powered by the Crab Pulsar's rotational energy through the formation and termination of a relativistic electron-positron wind. We report the detection of gamma rays from this source with energies from 5 × 10^-4 to 1.1 peta-electron volts with a spectrum showing gradual steepening over three energy decades. The ultrahigh-energy photons imply the presence of a peta-electron volt electron accelerator (a pevatron) in the nebula, with an acceleration rate exceeding 15% of the theoretical limit. We constrain the pevatron's size between 0.025 and 0.1 parsecs and the magnetic field to ≈110 microgauss. The production rate of peta-electron volt electrons, 2.5 × 10³⁶ ergs per second, constitutes 0.5% of the pulsar spin-down luminosity, although we cannot exclude a contribution of peta-electron volt protons to the production of the highest-energy gamma rays.

Extended Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission Surrounding PSR J0622+3749 Observed by LHAASO-KM2A

We report the discovery of an extended very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray source around the location of the middle-aged (207.8 kyr) pulsar PSR J0622+3749 with the Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). The source is detected with a significance of 8.2σ for E>25  TeV assuming a Gaussian template. The best-fit location is (right ascension, declination) =(95.47°±0.11°,37.92°±0.09°), and the extension is 0.40°±0.07°. The energy spectrum can be described by a power-law spectrum with an index of -2.92±0.17_{stat}±0.02_{sys}. No clear extended multiwavelength counterpart of the LHAASO source has been found from the radio to sub-TeV bands. The LHAASO observations are consistent with the scenario that VHE electrons escaped from the pulsar, diffused in the interstellar medium, and scattered the interstellar radiation field. If interpreted as the pulsar halo scenario, the diffusion coefficient, inferred for electrons with median energies of ∼160  TeV, is consistent with those obtained from the extended halos around Geminga and Monogem and much smaller than that derived from cosmic ray secondaries. The LHAASO discovery of this source thus likely enriches the class of so-called pulsar halos and confirms that high-energy particles generally diffuse very slowly in the disturbed medium around pulsars.

Hippocampal transcriptome profiling reveals common disease pathways in chronic hypoperfusion and aging

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a progressive cognitive impairment of vascular etiology. VaD is characterized by cerebral hypoperfusion, increased blood-brain barrier permeability and white matter lesions. An increased burden of VaD is expected in rapidly aging populations. The hippocampus is particularly susceptible to hypoperfusion, and the resulting memory impairment may play a crucial role in VaD. Here we have investigated the hippocampal gene expression profile of young and old mice subjected to cerebral hypoperfusion by bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS). Our data in sham-operated young and aged mice reveal an age-associated decline in cerebral blood flow and differential gene expression. In fact, BCAS and aging caused broadly similar effects. However, BCAS-induced changes in hippocampal gene expression differed between young and aged mice. Specifically, transcriptomic analysis indicated that in comparison to young sham mice, many pathways altered by BCAS in young mice resembled those already present in sham aged mice. Over 30 days, BCAS in aged mice had minimal effect on either cerebral blood flow or hippocampal gene expression. Immunoblot analyses confirmed these findings. Finally, relative to young sham mice the cell type-specific profile of genes in both young BCAS and old sham animals further revealed common cell-specific genes. Our data provide a genetic-based molecular framework for hypoperfusion-induced hippocampal damage and reveal common cellular signaling pathways likely to be important in the pathophysiology of VaD.

Ultrahigh-energy photons up to 1.4 petaelectronvolts from 12 γ-ray Galactic sources

The extension of the cosmic-ray spectrum beyond 1 petaelectronvolt (PeV; 10¹⁵ electronvolts) indicates the existence of the so-called PeVatrons-cosmic-ray factories that accelerate particles to PeV energies. We need to locate and identify such objects to find the origin of Galactic cosmic rays¹. The principal signature of both electron and proton PeVatrons is ultrahigh-energy (exceeding 100 TeV) γ radiation. Evidence of the presence of a proton PeVatron has been found in the Galactic Centre, according to the detection of a hard-spectrum radiation extending to 0.04 PeV (ref. ²). Although γ-rays with energies slightly higher than 0.1 PeV have been reported from a few objects in the Galactic plane^3-6, unbiased identification and in-depth exploration of PeVatrons requires detection of γ-rays with energies well above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the detection of more than 530 photons at energies above 100 teraelectronvolts and up to 1.4 PeV from 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources with a statistical significance greater than seven standard deviations. Despite having several potential counterparts in their proximity, including pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants and star-forming regions, the PeVatrons responsible for the ultrahigh-energy γ-rays have not yet been firmly localized and identified (except for the Crab Nebula), leaving open the origin of these extreme accelerators.

[A single-arm prospective study on induction chemotherapy and subsequent comprehensive therapy for advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: report of 260 cases in a single center]

Objective: To study the significance of induction chemotherapy and subsequent comprehensive therapy for overall survival rate (OS) and larynx dysfunction-free survival rate (LDFS) in patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: Patients who met the inclusion criteria with the diagnoses of advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma between 2011 and 2017 received 2 or 3 cycles of TPF regimen induction chemotherapy. Patients who attained complete response (CR) received radical chemotherapy. Patients who attained partial response (PR) and the reduction of tumor volume was more than 70% were defined as large PR and received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. When the tumor volume reduction of PR patients was less than 70%, they were defined as small PR. (CR+large PR) group was defined as effective group. Patients who did not reach CR and large PR were defined as uneffective group and underwent radical surgery and received adjuvant radiotherapy as appropriate after the surgery. The end points of the study were OS, progression-free survival (PFS) and LDFS. Chi-square (χ(2)) test was used for correlation analysis. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method with a Log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate survival analysis. Results: A total of 260 patients were enrolled in the study. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 83 months, with an average of 24.7 months. The 3-year and 5-year OS rate was 46.0% and 32.6%, respectively. The 3-year and 5-year PFS rate was 41.0% and 26.6%, respectively. The 3-year and 5-year LDFS rate was 37.9% and 24.8%, respectively. Poor outcome of induction chemotherapy, advanced N stage, strong positive Ki-67 immunohistochemistry (all P<0.001) were negative prognostic factors. The advanced clinical stage was positively related to the poor outcome of induction chemotherapy (P=0.015). There was no significant difference in OS and PFS between the large PR group and the small PR group (all P>0.005). Conclusion: TPF regimen induction chemotherapy and subsequent comprehensive therapy for patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma may improve the quality of life of patients, with high OS rate and LDFS rate.

Targeting the Immune System for Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is responsible for almost 6 million deaths and more than 10% of all mortalities each year, and two-thirds of stroke survivors remain disabled. With treatments for ischemic stroke still limited to clot lysis and/or mechanical removal, new therapeutic targets are desperately needed. In this review, we provide an overview of the complex mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune cell-mediated inflammatory injury, that exacerbates infarct development for several days after stroke. We also highlight the features of poststroke systemic immunodepression that commonly leads to infections and some mortalities, and argue that safe and effective therapies will need to balance pro- and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in a time-sensitive manner, to maximize the likelihood of an improved long-term outcome.

Systemic treatment with human amnion epithelial cells after experimental traumatic brain injury

Systemic administration of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) was recently shown to reduce neuropathology and improve functional recovery following ischemic stroke in both mice and marmosets. Given the significant neuropathological overlap between ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI), we hypothesized that a similar hAEC treatment regime would also improve TBI outcomes. Male mice (12 weeks old, n ​= ​40) were given a sham injury or moderate severity TBI by controlled cortical impact. At 60 ​min post-injury, mice were given a single tail vein injection of either saline (vehicle) or 1 ​× ​10⁶ hAECs suspended in saline. At 24 ​h post-injury, mice were assessed for locomotion and anxiety using an open field, and sensorimotor ability using a rotarod. At 48 ​h post-injury, brains were collected for analysis of immune cells via flow cytometry, or histological evaluation of lesion volume and hAEC penetration. To assess the impact of TBI and hAECs on lymphoid organs, spleen and thymus weights were determined. Treatment with hAECs did not prevent TBI-induced sensorimotor deficits at 24 ​h post-injury. hAECs were detected in the injured brain parenchyma; however, lesion volume was not altered by hAEC treatment. Robust increases in several leukocyte populations in the ipsilateral hemisphere of TBI mice were found when compared to sham mice at 48 ​h post-injury; however, hAEC treatment did not alter brain immune cell numbers. Both TBI and hAEC treatment were found to increase spleen weight. Taken together, these findings indicate that-unlike in ischemic stroke-treatment with hAEC was unable to prevent immune cell infiltration and sensorimotor deficits in the acute stages following controlled cortical impact in mice. Although further investigations are required, our data suggests that the lack of hAEC-induced neuroprotection in the current study may be explained by the differential splenic contributions to neuropathology between these brain injury models.

IL-37 increases in patients after ischemic stroke and protects from inflammatory brain injury, motor impairment and lung infection in mice

Post-stroke inflammation may contribute to secondary brain injury and systemic immunosuppression. Interleukin(IL)-37 is an immunosuppressive cytokine belonging to the IL-1 superfamily with no mouse homologue yet identified, the effects of which have not been studied in stroke. Here we report: (1) the effect of ischemic stroke on circulating IL-37 in humans; and (2) the effect of IL-37 on stroke outcome measures in mice transgenic for human IL-37 (IL-37tg). We found that in the first 3 days after ischemic stroke in 55 patients, the plasma abundance of IL-37 was ~2-fold higher than in 24 controls. In IL-37tg mice, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion resulted in marked increases in plasma IL-37 (~9-fold) and brain IL-37 mRNA (~7,000-fold) at 24 h compared with sham-operated IL-37tg mice. Further, compared with wild-type (WT) mice subjected to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, IL-37tg mice exhibited less severe locomotor deficit, smaller cerebral infarcts and reduced bacterial lung infection. In the ischemic hemisphere, there were 60% fewer pro-inflammatory microglia-macrophages and up to 4-fold higher expression of anti-inflammatory markers in IL-37tg compared to WT mice. Our data show that IL-37 expression is increased following ischemic stroke in humans and IL-37tg mice, and may exert protective effects by modulating post-stroke inflammation in the brain and periphery.

[Basal squamous cell carcinoma of external auditory meatus: a case report]

Summary The patient developed repeated itching and scabbing at the mouth of the left external auditory canal 5 years ago. In the last two years, the tumor is enlarged. After admission, the left external auditory canal can be seen as a reddish mass, brittle and easy to bleed. CT of temporal bone showed that the soft tissue shadow of left external auricle and external auditory canal was thickened. Postoperative pathological findings: (left external auditory canal) basal cell squamous cell carcinoma. According to the history, physical examination and laboratory examination, the diagnosis is considered as basal squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory meatus.

Succession Law of Intestinal Flora after Death in SD Rats

OBJECTIVES

To initially explore the sequential changes in the intestinal flora of corpse for the estimation of postmortem interval （PMI）.

METHODS

Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, and samples were taken from their intestines using cotton swab to extract the DNA of intestinal flora. The 16S rRNA V3 universal primers were selected for PCR, and the PCR products were used for denatured gradient gel electrophoresis. The diversity and similarity analysis of intestinal flora were analyzed between groups, and the bands were cut from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. After purification, PCR and sequencing, the percentage of major bacteria in each group was obtained.

RESULTS

The flora diversity showed a reduced tendency from 1st to 30th day after death （ P<0.05）, while the intra-group similarity showed a downward trend （ P<0.05）. The number of bands and intra-group similarity coefficient （Cs） on the first day was higher than that of other groups （ P<0.05）. The intra-group Cs of the 25th and 30th day had a significant difference compared with the 5th day （ P<0.05）. At the genus level, the intestinal flora was mainly composed of Enterococcus sp. on the 1th and 5th day after death, Bacillus thuringienssis was the dominant species on the 10th, 15th and 20th day, and Enterococcus faecalis became the dominant species on the 25th and 30th day.

CONCLUSIONS

The composition and structure of intestinal flora change significantly in rats with the time after death, which indicates that the succession of intestinal flora is related to the postmortem interval.

IL-33 modulates inflammatory brain injury but exacerbates systemic immunosuppression following ischemic stroke

Stroke triggers a complex inflammatory process in which the balance between pro- and antiinflammatory mediators is critical for the development of the brain infarct. However, systemic changes may also occur in parallel with brain inflammation. Here we demonstrate that administration of recombinant IL-33, a recently described member of the IL-1 superfamily of cytokines, promotes Th2-type effects following focal ischemic stroke, resulting in increased plasma levels of Th2-type cytokines and fewer proinflammatory (3-nitrotyrosine+F4/80+) microglia/macrophages in the brain. These effects of IL-33 were associated with reduced infarct size, fewer activated microglia and infiltrating cytotoxic (natural killer-like) T cells, and more IL-10-expressing regulatory T cells. Despite these neuroprotective effects, mice treated with IL-33 displayed exacerbated post-stroke lung bacterial infection in association with greater functional deficits and mortality at 24 hours. Supplementary antibiotics (gentamicin and ampicillin) mitigated these systemic effects of IL-33 after stroke. Our findings highlight the complex nature of the inflammatory mechanisms differentially activated in the brain and periphery during the acute phase after ischemic stroke. The data indicate that a Th2-promoting agent can provide neuroprotection without adverse systemic effects when given in combination with antibiotics.

[The therapeutic effect of HSV1-hGM-CSF combined with doxorubicin on the mouse breast cancer model]

Objective: To evaluate the oncolytic effect of herpes simplex virus type 1 which carried recombined human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (HSV1-hGM-CSF) on the mouse breast cancer cell line 4T1 and compare the anticancer effects of HSV1-hGM-CSF, doxorubicin alone or combination on the breast cancer in mice. Methods: We investigated the cytotoxic effect on 4T1 cells in vitro, the cell growth, cell apoptosis and cell cycle of 4T1 cells treated with oncolytic HSV1-hGM-CSF at different MOIs (0, 0.5, 1 and 2) and doxorubicin at different concentrations (0, 2, 4 and 8 μg/ml). The effects of oncolytic HSV1-hGM-CSF and doxorubicin on the tumor growth, survival time and their side effects on the mouse breast cancer model were observed. Results: Both oncolytic HSV1-hGM-CSF and doxorubicin significantly inhibited the proliferation of 4T1 cells in vitro. Doxorubicin induced the G(2)/M phase arrest of 4T1 cells, while the cytotoxicity of oncolytic HSV1-hGM-CSF was no cell cycle-dependent.At day 16 after treatment with doxorubicin and HSV1-hGM-CSF, the tumor volume of 4T1 tumor bearing mice were (144.40±27.68)mm(3,) (216.80±57.18)mm(3,) (246.10±21.90)mm(3,) (327.50±44.24)mm(3,) (213.30±32.31)mm(3) and (495.80±75.87)mm(3) in the groups of doxorubicin combined with high dose HSV1-hGM-CSF, doxorubicin combined with low dose HSV1-hGM-CSF, doxorubicin alone, high dose HSV1-hGM-CSF alone, low dose HSV1-hGM-CSF alone and control, respectively.Compared with the control group, both doxorubicin and HSV1-hGM-CSF treatment exhibited significant reduction of primary tumor volume in vivo (P<0.001). The median survival times were 48, 50, 40, 42, 43 and 37 days in the six groups mentioned above, respectively. The median survival period of doxorubicin alone, high dose HSV1-hGM-CSF alone and low dose HSV1-hGM-CSF alone were significantly longer than that of control (P<0.05). Conclusion: Synergistic effect of sequential treatment with doxorubicin and oncolytic HSV1-hGM-CSF is observed in 4T1 mouse breast cancer.

Treatment with an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist mitigates neuroinflammation and brain damage after polytrauma

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and long bone fracture are common in polytrauma. This injury combination in mice results in elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and exacerbated neuropathology when compared to isolated-TBI. Here we examined the effect of treatment with an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) in mice given a TBI and a concomitant tibial fracture (i.e., polytrauma). Adult male C57BL/6 mice were given sham-injuries or polytrauma and treated with saline-vehicle or IL-1ra (100mg/kg). Treatments were subcutaneously injected at 1, 6, and 24h, and then once daily for one week post-injury. 7-8 mice/group were euthanized at 48h post-injury. 12-16 mice/group underwent behavioral testing at 12weeks post-injury and MRI at 14weeks post-injury before being euthanized at 16weeks post-injury. At 48h post-injury, markers for activated microglia and astrocytes, as well as neutrophils and edema, were decreased in polytrauma mice treated with IL-1ra compared to polytrauma mice treated with vehicle. At 14weeks post-injury, MRI analysis demonstrated that IL-1ra treatment after polytrauma reduced volumetric loss in the injured cortex and mitigated track-weighted MRI markers for axonal injury. As IL-1ra (Anakinra) is approved for human use, it may represent a promising therapy in polytrauma cases involving TBI and fracture.

Misfit Strain Relaxation of Ferroelectric PbTiO3/LaAlO3 (111) Thin Film System

Ferroelectric thin films grown on high index substrates show unusual structural and switching dynamics due to their special strain states. Understanding the misfit relaxation behavior is crucial to facilitate the high index thin film growth with improved quality. In this paper, ferroelectric PbTiO₃ thin films were grown on LaAlO₃ (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. The microstructures were investigated by combinations of conventional and aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. Diffraction contrast analysis and high resolution imaging reveal that high density interfacial dislocations were distributed at the interfaces. These dislocations have mixed character with Burgers vectors of a <110> and line directions of <112>. The edge components of the dislocations, with the Burgers vectors parallel to the interface, accommodate the lattice mismatch and are the main contributor to the misfit relaxation of this system. The formation mechanism of these dislocations is proposed and discussed to elucidate the novel mismatch relaxation behavior of <111> oriented perovskite films.

Brain immune cell composition and functional outcome after cerebral ischemia: comparison of two mouse strains

Inflammatory cells may contribute to secondary brain injury following cerebral ischemia. The C57Bl/6 mouse strain is known to exhibit a T helper 1-prone, pro-inflammatory type response to injury, whereas the FVB strain is relatively T helper 2-prone, or anti-inflammatory, in its immune response. We tested whether stroke outcome is more severe in C57Bl/6 than FVB mice. Male mice of each strain underwent sham surgery or 1 h occlusion of the middle cerebral artery followed by 23 h of reperfusion. Despite no difference in infarct size, C57Bl/6 mice displayed markedly greater functional deficits than FVB mice after stroke, as assessed by neurological scoring and hanging wire test. Total numbers of CD45(+) leukocytes tended to be larger in the brains of C57Bl/6 than FVB mice after stroke, but there were marked differences in leukocyte composition between the two mouse strains. The inflammatory response in C57Bl/6 mice primarily involved T and B lymphocytes, whereas neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages were more prominent in FVB mice. Our data are consistent with the concept that functional outcome after stroke is dependent on the immune cell composition which develops following ischemic brain injury.

Analysis of cell cycle shortening and developmental interruption in Dictyostelium discoideum allC RNAi mutants

Dictyostelium discoideum allC RNAi mutant cells are motile and aggregate together, but do not undergo further morphological development. The relatively quick growth rate of allC RNAi mutants compared to wild-type D. discoideum results in a shortened mutant cell cycle. However, at present, little is known about the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Here, we used semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time quantitative RT-PCR, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry to elucidate the phenomenon. We found significant downregulation of myosin II heavy chain, D. discoideum calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule-1 (DdCAD-1) mRNA, DdCAD-1 protein, D. discoideum mRNA for 14-3-3 and 14-3-3 protein, and type A von Willebrand factor domain-containing protein mRNA in allC RNAi mutants. The results suggest that downregulation of the myosin II heavy chain could be one of key factors causing the developmental interruption and that downregulation of the 14-3-3 protein and the type A von Willebrand factor domain-containing protein mRNA plays an important role in shortening the cell cycle of allC RNAi mutants.

Adjusting Lung Cancer Risks for Temporal and Spatial Variations in Radon Concentration in Dwellings in Gansu Province, China

Our recent study in Gansu Province, China reported an increasing risk of lung cancer with increasing residential radon concentration that was consistent with previous pooled analyses and with meta-analyses of other residential studies (Wang et al., Am. J. Epidemiol. 155, 554-564, 2002). Dosimetry used current radon measurements (1-year track-etch detectors) in homes to characterize concentrations for the previous 30 years, resulting in uncertainties in exposure and possibly reduced estimates of disease risk. We conducted a 3-year substudy in 55 houses to model the temporal and spatial variability in radon levels and to adjust estimates of radon risk. Temporal variation represented the single largest source of uncertainty, suggesting the usefulness of multi-year measurements to assess this variation; however, substantial residual variation remained unexplained. The uncertainty adjustment increased estimates of the excess odds ratio by 50-100%, suggesting that residential radon studies using similar dosimetry may also underestimate radon effects. These results have important implications for risk assessment.

[Antisecretory effect of dl-(15R)-15 methyl-PGE2 methyl ester (PG6E) on perfusing rats in vivo]

The antisecretion effect of dl-(15R)-15 methyl-PGE2 methyl ester (PG6E) was studied in perfusing rats in vivo. The results showed that PG6E at the dose 0.1 mg.kg-1 decreased markedly the acid secretion and antagonized the gastric acid secretion induced by histamine, pilocarpin and pentagastrin in rats. This action of PG6E appeared to be similar to that of cimetidine (40 mg.kg-1).

[Use of high-field nulear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the analysis of stereoselective metabolites of ibuprofen (R)-enantiomer in rat urine]

AIM

To study the metabolic chiral inversion and chiral metabolites of R-(-)-ibuprofen.

METHODS

Following administration of R-(-)-ibuprofen (250 mg.kg-1), analysis was performed on rat urine purified extracts obtained by solid phase extraction onto C-18 bonded silica gel, then the metabolites of ibuprofen were detected and identified by 1HNMR spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Except for a little ibuprofen, there were 2'-hydroxy-ibuprofen and its glucuronide, 1'-carboxy-ibuprofen glucuronide and ibuprofen glucuronide in rat urine. 2'-hydroxy-ibuprofen is the main metabolite. 1'-carboxy-ibuprofen glucuronide and ibuprofen glucuronide were diastereoisomers.

CONCLUSION

There was the phenomenon of metabolic chiral inversion, whereby the R-enantiomer is transformed in vivo to its active S-antipode via an unusual process.

Lung cancer and environmental tobacco smoke in a non-industrial area of China

We report results from a population-based case-control study of lung cancer and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among never-smokers conducted in 2 rural prefectures of China, including 200 female and 33 male lung cancer cases, and 407 female and 114 male controls, matched on age, sex and prefecture of current residence. The odds ratio (OR) for ever-exposed to ETS was 1.19 (95% CI 0.7-2.0), with a significant trend (p<0.05) with increasing exposure. ORs were 1.00, 1.04, 1.13 and 1.51 for non-exposed, <10, 10-19 and >/=20 pack-years of ETS exposure, respectively. Excess risks were limited to ETS exposures in childhood (</=18 years of age). The OR for ever-exposed to ETS in childhood, adjusting for ETS exposure in adulthood, was 1. 52 (95% CI 1.1-2.2), with a significant trend (p<0.01) with increasing pack-years of childhood exposure, 1.00, 1.43, 1.81 and 2. 95, respectively. After adjustment for ETS in childhood, there was no excess risk from adult ETS exposure. The OR for ever-exposed to ETS in adulthood was 0.90 (95% CI 0.-1.4). These results were not affected by adjustment for type of residential dwelling, type or amount of fuel used, perceived indoor smokiness, or measures of socioeconomic status, or omitting next-of-kin respondents.

Lung cancer and environmental tobacco smoke in a non-industrial area of China

We report results from a population-based case-control study of lung cancer and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among never-smokers conducted in 2 rural prefectures of China, including 200 female and 33 male lung cancer cases, and 407 female and 114 male controls, matched on age, sex and prefecture of current residence. The odds ratio (OR) for ever-exposed to ETS was 1.19 (95% CI 0.7-2.0), with a significant trend (p<0.05) with increasing exposure. ORs were 1.00, 1.04, 1.13 and 1.51 for non-exposed, <10, 10-19 and >/=20 pack-years of ETS exposure, respectively. Excess risks were limited to ETS exposures in childhood (</=18 years of age). The OR for ever-exposed to ETS in childhood, adjusting for ETS exposure in adulthood, was 1. 52 (95% CI 1.1-2.2), with a significant trend (p<0.01) with increasing pack-years of childhood exposure, 1.00, 1.43, 1.81 and 2. 95, respectively. After adjustment for ETS in childhood, there was no excess risk from adult ETS exposure. The OR for ever-exposed to ETS in adulthood was 0.90 (95% CI 0.-1.4). These results were not affected by adjustment for type of residential dwelling, type or amount of fuel used, perceived indoor smokiness, or measures of socioeconomic status, or omitting next-of-kin respondents.

[Protection of dl-(15R)-15 methyl-PGE2 methyl ester (PG6E) on experimental ulcers in rats]

The effects of dl-(15R)-15 methyl-PGE2 methyl ester (PG6E), in experimental ulcers induced by absolute alcohol, HCl, indomethacin, pyloric ligation and chronic acetic acid in rats were studied. PG6E at doses 10-80 micrograms.kg-1 was shown to have significant protective effect. PG6E (30-60 micrograms.kg-1) was also found to reduce markedly the acid secretion, pepsin activity, DNA content of the juice collected from pylorus ligated stomach of rats and increase markedly the content of gastric mucosa hexosamine in mice given PG6E (30-60 micrograms.kg-1 po for 3 d). At doses of 40-80 micrograms.kg-1, PG6E was able to have no significant effect on gastric emptying time in rats and gastrointestinal tract movement in mice. It appears that PG6E was shown to inhibit the aggressive factors and increase the protective factors of gastric mucosa. This may hopefully become a new antiulcer agent.

Tissue transglutaminase in apoptosis of photoreceptor cells in rat retina

PURPOSE

The possible involvement of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) in apoptosis during photoreceptor degeneration was examined in retinal photic injury in rats and in retinal dystrophy of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats.

METHODS

Retinal photic injury was induced in 48 male Lewis albino rats by exposure to green fluorescent light of 300 to 320 foot-candles. The retinal tTG was examined by enzyme assay, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis after 9, 12, or 24 hours of exposure or at 6 or 24 hours of dark adaptation after 24 hours of light exposure. Retinas from RCS rats at various stages of degeneration also were examined with similar methods.

RESULTS

There was a progressive increase in retinal tTG activity after 300 to 320 ft-c of light exposure, reaching a peak after 24 hours of light exposure. In the RCS rats, tTG activity increased with age. Western blot analysis revealed an immunoreactive band at 80 kDa, which increased in accordance with the transglutaminase activity in both models. In normal rat retinas, tTG immunolabeling was present only in the outer segments. There was an increased number of immunolabeled photoreceptor nuclei from 12 hours of light exposure to 24 hours of light exposure. In the RCS rat, increasing numbers of immunopositive photoreceptor nuclei from 20 to 50 days of age were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

The data associated increased retinal tTG activity and enzyme levels with photoreceptor cells undergoing apoptosis. The tTG-dependent irreversible cross-linking of intracellular protein may play an important role in causing the structural changes in cells undergoing apoptosis in the retina.

Adhesion of human trabecular meshwork cells to extracellular matrix proteins. Roles and distribution of integrin receptors

PURPOSE

To examine the adhesion of human trabecular meshwork cells with various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and to evaluate the roles and distribution of integrin receptors.

METHODS

Cultured human trabecular meshwork cells were added to 96-well plates either uncoated or coated with proteins including fibronectin, laminin, and vitronectin, as well as collagen types I, III, IV, V, and VI. After incubation for 1 hour, the adhesion of cells was measured. Expression of cell surface integrins was determined by cell enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoprecipitation. Distribution was visualized by immunofluorescence staining using integrin-specific antibodies. For function perturbation and peptide inhibition studies, cells were preincubated with either integrin antibodies or synthetic peptides before the adhesion assays.

RESULTS

Human trabecular meshwork cells attached to plates coated with ECM proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Fibronectin, vitronectin, and collagen types I and IV were the preferred ECM substrates. Cell ELISA revealed the presence of integrins alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha 6, alpha v, beta 1, beta 3, beta 5, alpha 5 beta 1, and alpha v beta 3 and the absence of beta 2 and beta 4 on human trabecular meshwork cells. Results from immunostaining experiments were consistent with those from cell ELISA studies. Attachment of cells to ECM proteins was blocked by specific integrin antibodies. Cell adhesion to fibronectin and vitronectin was inhibited by peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp sequence.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracellular matrix proteins mediate the adhesion of human trabecular meshwork cells in culture. Integrin receptors appear to have functional roles in the cell-matrix interactions.

Antitumor effects of new-type recombinant interleukin-2

Two new human recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2), 125-Ser-rIL-2, and 125-Ala-rIL-2, were generated by protein engineering technique. Both of them maintained the proliferation of natural killer (NK) cells, CTLL-2 cells and their long-term propagations. The mutated new rIL-2 also enhanced the bioactivity of NK cells and the cytotoxicity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) against the target tumor cells. The above results were all compared with that of the native rIL-2 and a similarity between them was found, which indicates that new type rIL-2 could be used for adoptive immunotherapy of malignant diseases.

[Syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine in chronic aplastic anemia; T-lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood and erythrocyte C3b receptors]

In this paper, the Syndrome Differentiation in TCM and the determination on T-lymphocyte subpopulation and RBC C3b receptor were carried out by using indirect SPA assay and RBC C3b receptor ring test among 51 chronic aplastic anemia patients.

RESULT

The OKT3, OKT4 and OKT4/OKT8 ratio in groups of Kidney-Yin Deficiency group were lower, while the OKT8 was higher than that of controls. In the group of both Kidney-Yin and Yang Deficiency, OKT4 and OKT4/OKT8 ratio were lower. and the value of OKT8 is higher than that of controls. The OKT8 in the Kidney-Yang Deficiency group was higher. and the ratio of OKT4/OKT8 was lower than that of controls. The OKT8 in the Kidney-Yin Deficiency group among three groups increased higher than that of other two groups. while the OKT4/OKT8 ratio reduced. The OKT4/OKT8 ratio in the group of both Kidney-Yin and Yang Deficiency was higher than that of Kidney-Yang Deficiency group. Among the three groups, the rosette rates of RBC C3b receptor were lower than controls. The above-mentioned data were statistically significant. These characteristic changes could be used as a reference of microcosmic Syndrome Differentiation and also a guide for how to apply the immunosuppressant and immunopotentiator.

[Intracerebral tuberculomas. A CT study of 14 cases]

The clinical manife stations and CT scans of 14 cases of intracerebral tuberculomas were reviewed. 9 cases were associated with tuberculous meningitis. The images of the tuberculomas on CT scans appeared to be disc-like, ring-like or irregular in shape. The irregular mass consisted of multiple discs or rings coalescing to produce such irregular contours. On the plain scans, fewer of the tuberculomas showed images of low density or isodenseimages they became clear images of high density on the enhanced scans. Of the 5 cases not associated with tuberculous meningitis, 3 had epilepsies. The experience obtained in recent years indicated that the majority of tuberculomas could decrease in size or completely reabsorbed with adequate antituberculous medications. For the treatment of intracerebral tuberulomas it was recommended to use regular doses of Isoniazid, Rifampin, Ethambutol and other antituberculous drugs in combination for one to one and half years. Surgery should be performed when necessary.

[Effect of 3-hydroxy-lup-20(29)en-23-28-dioic acid on rat experimental gastric ulcers]

3-hydroxy-lup-20(29) en-23-28-dioic acid (HLEDA) at doses of 50-100 mg/kg was found to be an effective anti-ulcer agent in three rat experimental gastric ulcer models: the indomethacin-induced, pyloric ligation-induced, and absolute alcohol-induced ulcers. Its anti-ulcer activities were similar to those of carbenoxolone. HLEDA was shown to increase the hexosamine levels in gastric juice collected from pylorus ligated stomachs. No influence on gastric secretion and peptic activity was observed. Carbenoxolone was found to significantly inhibit the elimination of Na+ and K+ in rat urine. HLEDA had no effect on the elimination of Na+ and K+.

Lipogenesis stimulatory and inhibitory activities of the insulin mediators

Incubating plasma membranes prepared from pig liver with varying concentrations of insulin (50-1000 microU/ml) resulted in the release of at least two insulin chemical mediators. One of them was fraction 1 of insulin mediator (M. W. 3700-4000 daltons) which had a significant lipogenesis-stimulating activity. The other was fraction 2 of insulin mediator (M. W. about 1000 daltons) which exhibited a lipogenesis-inhibitory activity. The ratio of yield between the two mediators produced from the membranes was not only dependent on the concentration but also on the potency of insulin and its analogs added. The result showed that there was more production of fraction 2 than fraction 1 with the inducer at low concentration (100 microU/ml), while the production of fraction 1 from the plasma membranes incubated with high concentration of insulin (300 microU/ml) was higher than fraction 2. On the other hand, insulin and its analogs which have different biological activities and receptor binding activities have been used to induce the insulin mediators. The results obtained were similar to those mentioned above. This suggested that the generation of the mediators was dependent on the biological potences but not the binding activities.

[Tuberculous meningitis with hydrocephalus: a clinical and CT study]

Fourteen cases of tuberculous meningitis complicated by moderate or severe hydrocephalus identified by CT are reported. The accumulation and blockage of tuberculous exudate in the basic cisterns and ependymitis in the cerebrospinal drainage pathway are the important pathological features of this disease. There may be a correlation of hydrocephalus with hyponatraemia. Headache, vomiting, and impaired consciousness are common symptoms, although a few cases did not show obvious symptoms of raised intracranial tension. The study suggests a relation between the degree of hydrocephalus and the pressure on lumber puncture. If patients with impaired consciousness, especially in the chronic stage show no improvement during medical treatment, ventricular shunt may bring about remarkable improvement.